COMPULSARY REDUNDANCIES AT BRITISH AIRWAYS!!
 

ALL ENGINEERING STAFF AT MANCHESTER ARE BEING SENT A LETTER TODAY WITH 3 OPTIONS.
1; EARLY RETIREMENT.
2; VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE,(WHICH IS A DAMN SITE LESS THAN THE F/ENGs WERE OFFERED).
3; RELOCATION AT IOM, SOUTHAMPTON OR GLASGOW WITHOUT A RELOCATION PACKAGE, WITH A NEW CONTRACT(NEW START DATE, LESS PAY, NEW PENSION SCHEME)
IF ANY OF THE ABOVE IS UNACCEPTABLE THEN YOUR OUT THE DOOR.
IN 27 YEARS AT BA I HAVE NEVER SEEN COMPULSARY REDUNDANCY USED, IS THIS THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE? <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

CAN THE AEEU/MSF/T&G EXPECT SUPPORT FROM BALPA?

<img src="confused.gif" border="0"> <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

HEADS UP EVERYONE COS IN FEBRUARY YOUR NEXT! <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Sad News indeed...
Best of Luck.

Is there no union to take care of insults like that!
One thing is cutting down operations and making them profitable in times like these, but there has got to be limits to how they can treat their employees, especially loyal one's that has put in a lot of years for the company.

It is despicable!

Good luck to you all!

Hovis,WELCOME to the real world.

Hang on a minute - is'nt that voluntary redundancy, an enhanced early pension or the chance of another job?

Sounds like a pretty fair offer all round - cosidering what's happened to aviation and what is happening to others.

Don't go blaming your employer - the guilty party is in cages in Guantanamo Bay.

What a comfort you are joyce! The mortgage people will be really happy with that explanation! <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

Spartacus - 5 times a day - you wouldn't be young ,strong and handsome as well by any chance?

Hovis - don't understand.. you say voluntary severance in item 2, then go on to say you're out if you don't accept. Is it voluntary or not??

Can someone please confirm the voluntary redundancy pay offer the flight engineers were offered? I have heard that it was 4 weeks money per year of service, with the number of years uncapped. The engineers are being offered 3 weeks per year, up to a maximum of 18 years, as far as I`m aware. If this is true, someone with 35 years service stands to lose almost a whole years wages. Both groups of people are engineers, only one has the magical word "flight" in their title. Of course, I stand to be corrected on any of these points, as I`m only going on what I have been told.

Joyce,

Not all the guilty parties are in Cuba. It is inconceivable to believe that all the post 9/11 redundancies / bankruptcies are purely down to that one event. A lot of companies (not just airlines) are loading bad news onto the back of events post 9/11.

Hovis-firstly I'm very sorry to hear the news for what its worth I dont think you will be the last to go through this .
If its of any help the following explanation of the terms you have been using might be of help.
Voluntry severance is what you get if you are under 50 and/or have less than 10 years service.It is what it says you volunteer to go and might get a small amount of cash-your pension is frozen.
Early retirement is what you get if you are over 50 and have more than 10 years service-your pension may be enhanced if your boss agrees ??
The pension isnt worth a lot unless youve been in it for 20 plus years.
BA will not talk about redundancy for many reasons not least of course it doesnt do the company image any good.
The pay offs that are being talked about are covered by law in that there is a minimum payoff calculated in weeks per years work.I think the UK minimum is 1 week per year of service so as long as BA pay at least that they are within the law.
As for relocation-I think that if the company require you to relocate then there is an allowance-in this case presumably they are saying it is you who wish to relocate,hope this has been of some help.

Sorry to hear the news Hovis. Get legal advice from the union to ensure what is on offer is within employment law (probably is)

Help from others unlikely especially BALPA! If it is of any consolation having been made redundant prior to joining BA it proved that if you have skills and experience you will pick something up.
Good Luck Bigpants
PS any engineering jobs at RAF Valley it has a civilian contractor looking after the jets I believe?

Hovis - so sorry to hear the axe is swinging at MAN - I'm one of the BFS Dispatchers axed in October and it don't feel good - I was only at BA 5 years and it hurt me - after 27 years it must be a real kick in the teeth - stick together as a group and fight for what you can - I feel as if BFS was allowed to fade away before our eyes. Anyone considering this more BA whingeing, imagine how you'd feel after 27 years........Good luck, Hovis.

anawanahuanana

sorry, can't confirm details of the various BA packages but to put this in context Mrs Stickshake has just been made redundant after 12 years with one of the 'big 5' accountancy firms. She gets 2 weeks pay per year of employment; this appears to be industry standard for chartered accountants although I can't say I know how this compares to other professions.

its terrible to hear what is happening to the manchester engineers but the package ain't as bad as many others are facing out there.

rgds

stickshake

Hovis

I am sorry for anybody faced with unpalatable choices, such as yours, but I must just correct one point.

The BA Flight Engineers, prior to 11/9, had a reasonable severance package. After 11/9 those still employed keeping the Classics in the air had the package on offer withdrawn.

It was reinstated after BALPA intervention and the pilots agreeing to some changes in working practises and withdrawal of some of their own benefits. It was, in reality, funded by their pilot colleagues.

Morally BA management's behaviour was questionable.

Joyce Tick

People like you really scare me. I wish lobotomys weren't so successful.

[ 19 January 2002: Message edited by: High Volt ]</p>

Very sad to hear this news.
The financial terms actually seem very good compared to other redundancy/severance packages.(usually no more than the legal minimum of one week per year)
I think that the disparity between the flight engineer and ground engineer "deals" is not at all fair, but as I have said before, aircraft engineers will never improve their pay, conditions, status etc. while they are represented by the same body that represents electricians, plumbers, assembly workers and such like.

Hovis
Do not whatever you do , get involved with BALPA.
Use a reliable union, i suggest you lot join the TGWU as they have far more experience in this sort of situation than that other bunch of stargazers who will just take your money , and do NOTHING because they have a very cosy relationship with Airline management. <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

This is a horrible surprise for the MAN people. But.....before getting too indignant, let's spare athought for the tens and hundreds of thousands who have just lost their jobs with a statutory package. One or one and a half weeks per year of service, capped at something like £240 per week.

So it's still crap, but there are some (and there will be more) doing a lot worse.

<img src="frown.gif" border="0">

M.Mouse you dont know what your talking about.Labotomy Yeh <img src="mad.gif" border="0">